Arlington HVAC – The Proper HVAC Sizing

Arlington HVAC

Arlington HVAC

An energy hog! Will you be surprised to learn that I am talking of your place, be it a new, old or refurbished home in Arlington? Yes, lots and lots of homes here lose energy that explains why the average energy cost is above $ 2,000 yearly. Updating energy efficiency can be a very costly investment. And, many of us do not quite understand why we should buy and replace the Arlington HVAC system to improve.

Are you having appropriate HVAC system?

A HVAC older than ten years require frequent HVAC repair and will naturally not be as reliable and efficient as a modern one. But what most people ignore is that the correct size (cooling and/or heating output) is vital to get the best comfort, efficiency as well as the lowest operating and maintenance costs from the new system lifespan. Unfortunately, the cooling and heating systems are not sized in the correct way by more than 50% of contractors.

Size of the system

The mistake that is most common is over sizing the air conditioner. An oversized system costs more to install and to operate. Over sizing causes the system to work inefficiently and to break down too, more often. While oversized furnaces often create large uncomfortable swings of temperature, oversized air conditioners will not run the time needed for the air to dehumidify. Consequently, we have that ‘clammy’ feeling and an unhealthy growth of mold.

Factors affecting HVAC size…

To correctly size the HVAC system these key factors have to be taken into consideration: local climate, future or current insulation levels,  window areas, type and location, home orientation, size and shape, rate of air infiltration, number of occupants and their age, and types of appliances and lights that produce heat.

The Norms

Manual D and Manual J are two sizing guidelines that will assist you to determine the proper HVAC system sizing. You must insist that the contractor uses a correct sizing calculation before you sign a contract. Conscientious contractors of air conditioning and heating like Carrier air conditioner repair know this and will reference it when they prepare a quote.

The ACCA, Air Conditioning Contractors of America, has published the ”Residential Load Calculation” or Manual J, which is the method recommended in the USA, Many user-friendly software packages for home owners inform and prepare you before you meet the potential contractor and  your calculation procedure is also simplified. Your contractor must follow the procedure of Manual J.

As for ducts that are usually comprised in the installation, their sizing must be according to “Residential Duct Design” or ACCA Manual D. You must ensure that mastic is used to seal duct joints so as to prevent conditioned air to be lost into the floors and walls. You may consult the “Residential Equipment Selection” which is an ACCA comprehensive guide to choose home cooling and heating systems.

This summary of correct HVAC sizing is destined to help to have a more comfortable and more energy efficient home. Take all the time you need to research and to understand proper sizing and its terminology and for purchase and installation, choose a company that is well referenced and certified.

Lighting Furnace

Call Arlington Furnace Repair

Call Arlington Furnace Repair

Arlington residents should be careful lighting a furnace. You can bet the all over America people are winding up in the hospital, or worse, when they were burned as they tried to light his furnace on the first cold night of the year night, according to the local fire department.

It’s that time of the year again when we cozy up to our fireplace or turn up our thermostat on our furnace.  If you have a natural gas or LP gas furnace in your Arlington – Dallas TX home you should take precautions before switching  your system into the heat mode.

Install A Carbon Monoxide Detector

Carbon monoxide is a given off by furnaces and if they are improperly vents this colorless, odorless gas fill your living quarters and injure or kill.  Some describe its symptoms as similar to the flue:

  • nausea
  • headaches
  • dizziness
  • fatigue

Call our office and we’ll send a technician to look at your system immediately if you think your furnace may be allowing this gas into your living quarters!  Sometimes. a heat exchanger will crack or the flue pipe could be stopped up.  Or, if the pilot light doesn’t have an adequate amount of oxygen, the natural gas won’t combust properly , causing deadly carbon monoxide to develop.

Our Arlington air conditioning and heating team recommend you protect  your home with a high-quality carbon monoxide detector.  It will alert you to dangerous levels of the deadly gas.  They should be installed close to bedrooms and living areas.

Brands

We service and install all the major brands of furnaces sold in the Arlington TX area:

  • Trane
  • Carrier
  • Bryant
  • York
  • Amana
  • Goodman
  • Rheem
  • Ruud
  • and more.

R-22 Phase Out

R-410a Refrigerant Arlington TX

R-410a Refrigerant Arlington TX

If you must buy new a/c unit this summer, go with the ones with R-410a. R-22 can not be made after this year and the cost of Freon will go up.

The year 2010 marks an important U.S. milestone for ozone protection with the phase out of R-22, an ozone depleting refrigerant used in some new air-conditioning systems for more than four decades.

To meet this environmental challenge, Carrier Corp., a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), introduced non-ozone depleting alternative cooling solutions with Puron refrigerant, approved in 1997 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Prior to Puron refrigerant, most residential air conditioners and heat pumps used R-22 refrigerant, a chlorine-containing refrigerant that can contribute to depletion of the earth’s ozone layer, according to the KTH-EGI Phase out of R22 Refrigerant Study.

Arlington air conditioning experts can help you make tis transition. Call today to find out what you need to do. The equivalent or generic name for Puron.